title: Chondroblastoma of the distal femur resected through a small fenestra via computed tomography navigation and endoscopy: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chondroblastoma is a benign bone tumor with a relatively high incidence in older children and adolescents during the period of active epiphyseal growth. It is generally regarded as a benign neoplasm, but sometimes it grows aggressively or recurs. To prevent recurrence, complete curettage is important; however, such an approach can be extremely difficult to perform precisely when the chondroblastoma arises deep in the epiphysis. In our patient's case, we used a computed tomography-based navigation system with registration technique involving skin marker fiduciaries and endoscopic curettage of the lesion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 16-year-old Japanese girl presented to our facility with left knee joint pain, which started nine months before her initial examination. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging studies of the left knee showed a radiolucent lesion with marginal sclerosis and lobular homogeneous hypo-intensity and hyper-intensity signals in the distal epiphysis of the left femoral epiphysis, carried through to the growth plate. To prevent recurrence of chondroblastoma and growth disturbance, we used a computed tomography-based navigation system with registration technique involving skin marker fiduciaries and endoscopic curettage of the lesion. Wide excision with total removal of the chondroblastoma in the distal femur often requires large exposure with associated drawbacks, where a wide excision near the growth plate can potentially lead to growth disturbance. Therefore, in an accessible location in the distal femur, endoscopic excision of chondroblastoma under navigation system guidance can be performed with minimal operative damage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the setting of a benign intra-osseous lesion infiltrating the growth plate, arthroscopic retrieval or excision under a computed tomography-based navigation system should be considered before proceeding with open surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Matsuoka Shimoaizuki 23-3, Eiheiji, Fukui 910-1193, Japan. mtuyo@u-fukui.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Kenzo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yayama
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honjoh
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Yoshinao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Hisatoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baba